Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon falls short in her attempt to break 4-minute mile

PARIS (AP) — Three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon failed in her bid Thursday to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes.

Kipyegon, the Olympic 1,500-meter gold medalist from Kenya, ran in 4 minutes, 06.42 seconds — the fastest mile in history by a woman — at Stade Charléty in Paris.

Her time was better than her world record of 4:07.64 but won't be recognized by the international federation because the Nike-sponsored event dubbed " Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile ” was unofficial. She was supported by pacemakers and equipped with Nike's latest innovations, from her aerodynamic track suit to her spikes.

“I gave everything today to try, it was not about running a tactical race” Kipyegon said. “It was the first trial. I have proven that it’s possible and it’s only a matter of time. I think it will come to our way. If it’s not me, it will be somebody else. I know one day, one time a woman will run under 4:00. I will not lose hope. I will still go for it."

The 31-year-old Kipyegon looked exhausted as she reached the finish and fell on her back as she was surrounded by photographers.

Her attempt took place on a balmy summer’s evening with a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) and limited wind, in front of an audience of a few thousand people. She used a team of 13 elite pace setters made of 11 men and two women who were positioned in front and behind her to reduce drag.

She stayed on the inside of the track throughout her punishing effort. She appeared to struggle midway through the race and failed in her attempt to shave at least 7.65 seconds off her world record. To achieve the feat, Kipyegon would have needed to run each of her four laps an average of about two seconds faster.

"I think next time we will catch up with the light,” Kipyegon added, joking about the Wavelight, a pace-setting system using a series of LED lights on the inside of the track making it easier to follow whether an athlete is ahead, or falling behind.

Kipyegon also had a message for her daughter and young girls watching.

“I will tell them we are not limited,” she said. "We can limit ourselves with thoughts, but it is possible to try everything and prove to the world that we are strong. Keep pushing.”

Among the guests in Paris were Carl Lewis and Kipyegon’s fellow Kenyan runner, longtime friend and training partner Eliud Kipchoge.

It was more than 71 years ago when British runner Roger Bannister became the first man to eclipse four minutes in 3:59.4.

Kipyegon set the women's mile world record nearly two years ago during a Diamond League meet in Monaco.

She won her third straight 1,500 Olympic title in Paris last August. A month before that, she broke her own 1,500 record on the same track where she ran on Thursday.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Faith Kipyegon, from Kenya, runs surrounded by her pacers in an attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes, at Stade Charlety in Paris, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Faith Kipyegon, from Kenya, approaches the finish line in her attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes, at Stade Charlety in Paris, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Faith Kipyegon, from Kenya, lies on the track after crossing the finish line in her attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes, at Stade Charlety in Paris, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Faith Kipyegon, from Kenya, runs in an attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes, at Stade Charlety in Paris, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Faith Kipyegon, from Kenya, lies on the track after crossing the finish line in her attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes, at Stade Charlety in Paris, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

FILE - Faith Kipyegon, of Kenya, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's 1500 meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

FILE - Faith Kipyegon, of Kenya, celebrates after winning the women's 1500-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)